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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · hand · temple · ground · rest · jam · pit · mine

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — a hole
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — a break
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com